Burning a Quran Copy Has Nothing to Do with Freedom of Expression (INSIGHT)
“Freedom of expression” has nothing to do with burning a copy of the Quran. The Kingdom of Morocco, whose Sovereign is an Amir Al Mu’minin (Commander of the Faithful), has always taken offense at irreverent acts that violate Islam and hurt Muslims around the world, wherever they may originate.
The burning of the Holy Quran on Wednesday in Stockholm has been strongly condemned by Moro because it not only violates human rights but also represents an unacceptable return to crime, which was committed in front of the complacent and tolerant eyes of Swedish authorities who were under pressure from the contentious decision of the Supreme Court, which upheld the ban on demonstrations to burn the Quran.
But to classify the savagery of the Qur’an as “freedom of expression” or “demonstration” is absurd and has more to do with injustice than justice. Burning the Quran is the height of disrespect, bigotry, and prejudice against all Muslims, especially during these holy days when the Muslim world is celebrating Eid Al-Adha.
Burning the Quran is neither an act of freedom of speech or insult, defamation, or threat. In order to appease some, even if it means insulting others, these fundamental liberties are being hijacked and diverted from their original purpose, how can we explain this to Muslims in Sweden and the rest of the world?
Both the facts and the times are grave. The Quran being burned is a despicable crime, especially in light of the rise of Islamophobia, racism, and incitement to hatred of Muslims in Europe.
The expressions are numerous: the rise of xenophobic sentiments; the dissemination of Islamophobic narratives; political and populist recoveries; the stigmatization of Islam and Muslims; the creation of scapegoats; and the instrumentalization of the migration issue, which essentializes Muslims and devolves into conspiracy theories that foster an imagined threat and demonization of the “Other”.
A copy of the Quran was burned on Wednesday in Stockholm, while a day earlier in Nanterre, a 17-year-old fled into the arms of a police officer. Under a system of law, such violence—whether it be physical, psychological, or symbolic—must be outlawed. Between communitarianism and Islamophobia, there is only one step, and that step may be disastrous. When it does not directly cause death, Islamophobia is a call to violence as well as a violation of human rights. Anywhere must not allow it.
His Majesty the King emphasized that “we should realize that fearing a given religion – or, to put it more accurately, prompting feelings of fear of that religion – leads to hatred for the manifestations of that faith and for the civilized people who practice that faith” in His Royal Message to the participants in the Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, held in Marrakech on June 13. He recalled that our world is confronted with ideologies of “extremism, self-centred Incitement against that faith, prejudice, and violent acts follow from this.
These royal counsel’s words are more relevant than ever right now.